Restaurants include Rosie’s Italian Grille, bd’s Mongolian Grill, El Vaquero Mexican Restaurant, The Spaghetti Warehouse and Dégagé Jazz Café. The deck also includes two jokers with coupons for Fat Fish Blue and the Funny Bone Comedy Club and four jacks with coupons for Paddy Jack’s Sylvania. Todd Gagné, CEO of It’s Interactive Media (i2m), said he wanted to stay local with the concept.

“That was the goal, to stay local and to promote local eateries,” Gagné said.

Even though some franchises are included in the deck, like Buffalo Wild Wings, the coupon cannot be used anywhere in the country; they can only be used in the area.

It did not cost the restaurants to participate; they only needed to agree to honor the coupon.

“This is just a neat, unique idea to get people to try the new places,” Gagné said. “The ultimate goal is to get them to try it and when they go and have a good experience, then they’re going to go back.”

The cards were released in August. Gagné has plans to expand and hopes to be in 10 cities by this time next year.

The cards are a great Christmas gift and are conveniently small for purses or pockets, Gagné said. They are being used for school fundraisers as well, which is currently the highest market.

“It just kind of naturally lends itself to a fundraising opportunity,” Gagné said. “The fundraising is really what’s been knocking it out of the park.”

The deck of cards costs $20, so redeeming two cards pays for the deck completely. The cards are available online at foodiecards.com or in local places like a kiosk in the Franklin Park Mall, Libbey Glass Factory Outlet, all University of Toledo federal credit unions and Costume Holiday House.